layer
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a single thickness of something that covers a surface or sits between other things.
n.a single thickness of a substance or material covering a surface or forming one of several levels in a stack.
Simple“The cake had a thick layer of chocolate cream in the middle.”
In context“Archaeologists carefully removed the top layer of sediment to reveal the well-preserved stone foundations of the Roman villa.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.one part or level of a complex system or idea.
n.a distinct level within a hierarchical structure, such as a software architecture or a social system.
Simple“The security system has several layers to protect your personal data.”
In context“In the OSI model, the transport layer is responsible for end-to-end communication and error recovery between hosts.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a bird or insect that is kept for the eggs it produces.
n.a mature female animal, particularly a domestic fowl, kept specifically for egg production.
Simple“The farmer kept a hundred layers to supply the local market with fresh eggs.”
In context“The productivity of the layers began to decline as the winter days grew shorter and the temperature in the coop dropped.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to put one thing on top of another in levels.
v.to arrange or form something in distinct thicknesses or tiers.
Simple“You should layer the vegetables in the dish before adding the sauce.”
In context“The gardener recommended layering the compost with straw to ensure proper aeration during the decomposition process.”
Usage layers including insulation
Appears at first glance to be from Middle English leyer, leyare (“a layer of stones or bricks”), equivalent to lay + -er. In which case, ultimately identical to etymology 2 below. For the pronunciation compare prayer. However, this word layer (referring to a thickness of a material covering a surface) has also been argued to be from a respelling of an obsolete sense of the word lair that was once used by farmers, which had to do with soil. The connecting sense between the usual meaning of lair and the specialised farming meaning was: an area where cows typically rest, the ground being fertilised by their waste. Related to lie, ledger.
From lay + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.